Brewers hit 5 homers, rout Astros 14-2

Prince Fielder, Ryan Braun and Corey Hart each hit a three-run homer, and the Milwaukee Brewers connected five times in all to beat the Houston Astros 14-2 on Wednesday night.

Yovani Gallardo (7-4) pitched seven shutout innings and Milwaukee won for the fifth time in six games. The Brewers began the day a half-game behind the first-place Chicago Cubs in the NL Central.

The Brewers have had trouble holding leads this year, but this one was never in doubt as they set a season high for runs. Fielder hit his NL-leading 41st homer in the first inning, Braun hit his 28th in the second and Hart hit his 20th in the fourth.

Geoff Jenkins followed Hart's homer with his 20th to make it 11-0, and Bill Hall hit his 13th in the sixth. Milwaukee leads the major leagues with 192 home runs.

Houston starter Matt Albers (4-7) lasted only three innings, giving up seven runs and six hits with three walks. Albers and reliever Felipe Paulino combined to walk five batters in the first four innings, and all of them scored.

The Brewers have the second-worst road record in the NL at 26-42 and play 13 of their next 16 away from Miller Park after an off day Thursday.

With the big lead, Milwaukee manager Ned Yost pulled Fielder, Braun, Hart and J.J. Hardy midway through the game.

Gallardo allowed six hits and two walks, but induced three double plays to keep Houston off the scoreboard. The right-hander struck out five to win his second consecutive start.

Albers was wild from the beginning, walking Rickie Weeks and Gabe Gross to open the first. Fielder's fly to center hit off the glove of a leaping Hunter Pence and over the fence for a 3-0 lead.

Gallardo doubled and Gross walked in the second, and Braun hit a home run to left that made it 6-0.

Johnny Estrada's double scored Hart to give Milwaukee a 7-0 lead after three.

Paulino made his major league debut in the fourth, and walked Weeks and Fielder. Hart then homered to make it 10-0.

Luke Scott hit a two-run homer for Houston in the ninth.

Notes:@ Braun's 28 homers ties the franchise rookie record set by Fielder a year ago. ... Brewers starting pitchers are 6-0 in the last eight games. ... Milwaukee's previous season high for runs came in a 13-4 victory at the Chicago Cubs on June 30. ... Hart became the fifth player in Brewers history to hit at least 20 homers and steal 20 bases in a season. The others are Tommy Harper (1970), Robin Yount (1980), Jeromy Burnitz (1997) and Marquis Grissom (1999).